


Galladon and the Perfect Night

by Moments_of_Clarity



Series: Today and Yesterday [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Bittersweet, F/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Post-Canon, post-adwd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 02:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moments_of_Clarity/pseuds/Moments_of_Clarity
Summary: It is the fifth year of summer and on Tarth, Brienne tells her son a storyThe sun had not risen in three moons and in Winterfell, Brienne told her husband a story.
Relationships: Brienne of Tarth & Galladon of Tarth (Original Character), Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Today and Yesterday [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537720
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	Galladon and the Perfect Night

Her son has eyes coloured the same green as spring grass. Eye colour is not the only thing he inherited from his father, (his laugh, his recklessness, his intense dislike of peas) nor is it the shared trait she is most grateful for (their capacity for love) but Brienne would hate to forget what that very particular shade looks like. 

She dreams of it, sometimes. Of forgetting colours and laughter and names. Then she wakes up to her son's face grinning down at her. A perfect reminder, the best of both of them. That he is so his father's son without the benefit of Jaime's presence is a miracle to her. 

It's the fifth year of what the smallfolk are calling the Eternal Summer and what the maesters are calling the Long Summer. Brienne doesn't believe this summer to be eternal, winter will come again. But here on Tarth she can almost pretend otherwise. Her little island thrives under her rule. Alliances made with the Great Houses of Westeros ensures her home has provisions and protection they might otherwise lack. And the noble Houses of the Westerlands will continue to be generous as long as their preferred heir to Casterly Rock calls the Sapphire Island his home. 

Brienne has no plans to send her son to the Rock. It may be his birthright but it is also, by all accounts, the place where happiness goes to die. And anyway, she swore an oath to keep their son away from there for as long as it remains her decision to make. Maybe one day Galladon will decide he likes the sound of Lord Lannister more than the Evenstar of Tarth but that day will be far in the future and entirely his choice. 

Until then, Ser Brienne Lannister of Tarth will run her household, rule her island and raise her son as she sees best. 

“What story do you want to hear tonight, my love?” Every night she asks him the same question and every night she is given the same answer. During the day he asks for tales of Aemon the Dragonknight and Ser Duncan the Tall and Nymeria of the Rhoyne and of his mother and father. But there's only one knight he wants to hear about before he's expected to sleep. 

“Galladon of Morne!” he cheers, as he has every night since his speech developed well enough for him to attempt the name. 

“Not of Ser Duncan and Lady Rohanne?” she offers. 

“No!” 

“Not of the Long Night?” 

“No!” 

“You want to hear about Ser Galladon of Morne?” 

“The Perfect Knight.” Galladon of Tarth smiles up at his mother, eyes lit with excitement. He has heard this story a thousand times. He will hear it a thousand more in his lifetime. But he will never tire of hearing about his namesake. 

One day this latest Galladon will have a knighthood of his own, and an enchanted sword; gifted to his mother by his father. Until then he has his favourite tale and a mother who will never tire of telling it to him. 

******

_“Where did this one come from?” _

_Jaime had taken to exploring a new part of her body every night. Or what Brienne thought of as night-such things had no meaning to a world with no sun or moon or stars. On one night, her husband had traced every contour of her hands with his. Another had led to the discovery that the back of her neck was a sensitive spot that he would take full advantage of. _

_That night he paid particular attention to the various scars that littered her body. He seemed to take great pride in the marks left by the bear, had bragged of his own daring rescue of the maid and of her own courage in the face of death. Her cheek he caressed until she'd forgotten it had ever hurt. Most of his attention had been given to the small slice he’d left on her thigh. He had called it their first kiss and she told him it was a wonder she had ever agreed to wed him if that were his idea of wooing. _

_“And yet here we are,” he replied and she conceded his point. _

_The scar he had pointed out as new to him was on the sole of her foot. It was nearly invisible; Jaime had only noticed it by touch. _

_“That? That was my first scar. I don't even remember how it happened, just that I was playing with Galladon one day when I was three, and then I was bleeding.” _

_Jaime ran a finger up and down the long-healed injury, suddenly deep in thought. “I was talking to Tyrion earlier and mentioned your brother's name. He asked if Galladon was named for the perfect knight of legend. I didn't know what he was talking about, but he says it was one of the stories I read to him when we were young.” _

_“You can tell your brother he was right,” Brienne replied with a fond smile. “Galladon of Morne isn't very well known outside of the Stormlands, so I'm surprised he's heard of him.” _

_Her husband released her foot and laid back down on their furs to face her. “Tell me of this legendary Galladon.” _

_“Was that a command?” She hadn’t waited for an answer before she began her tale. “Galladon of Morne was a knight of such valour that the Maiden herself fell in love with him. She gave to him an enchanted sword –” she was interrupted when Jaime failed to stifle his laugh. _

_“What?” she snapped. _

_“Of course Tarth's local legend parallels your life," Jaime said, still laughing._

_“In what possible way is my life comparable?” _

_“A most honourable knight. An enchanted sword given by one who lost their heart to them. Did this Galladon also fight bears and rescue a lost princess?” _

_Brienne huffed. “I don't know about any princess, but he did slay a dragon. And you realise that would make you the Maiden in this little comparison of yours? Are you really calling yourself a god?” _

_Jaime smirked and preened as he so often did. "Well, I am the closest any mortal will get to one.” _

_Brienne pretended she’d never thought something similar to that and scowled._ _“If pride were worth its weight in gold, Casterly Rock should never run dry.” _

_“Oh, come now, my perfect lady knight, you should feel blessed to be in the presence of a sword gifting god among men such as myself.” _

_“I'll show you blessed,” Brienne threatened before she pounced. Several hours would pass before she’d be able to finish her story. _

**Author's Note:**

> Couldn't sleep. Started writing this at 1am. Pretty sure it's coherent but I may just be tired.


End file.
